(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-11-24 20:23

MIAMI - Chinese 7-foot-6 center Yao Ming and Luis Scola each scored 20 points for Houston while Tracy McGrady added 19, but it was not enough to keep the Rockets from falling to 6-7 on the season after winning six of their first seven games.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming from China defends against Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal (L) in the first half during NBA basketball action in Miami, Florida, November 23, 2007. [Agencies]

Dwyane Wade scored 31 points and Shaquille O'Neal added 26 to spark the Miami Heat past Houston 98-91 on Friday, boosting the Rockets' National Basketball Association losing streak to six games.

The Heat improved to 3-9 with their first home victory in six tries and 2-3 since Wade returned from off-season shoulder and knee surgery.

Wade was impressed with O'Neal's early game attacking attitude as 35-year-old "Shaq" imposed himself upon Yao, hitting season highs in points and rebounds in the matchup of the NBA's two best big men.

O'Neal scored eight points in a 15-4 run to open the game, had 14 points and six rebounds at half-time and added 10 more points in the third quarter.

"He came out great," Wade said. "He wanted to be aggressive especially against the other best center in the league."

O'Neal, a 14-time NBA All-Star and three-time Most Valuable Player in the NBA Finals, was averaging only 15.5 points and 7.1 rebounds a game.

Yao, who grabbed seven rebounds, was averaging 22.7 points and 10.3 rebounds before his showdown with "Shaq".